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This profile was written by Chris an active contributor to the site.

Badis badis in dark blue courting colors. His name was Syd
Photo courtesy of Kimberly Keller

Badis badis

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Overview:
Badis are a peaceful species, though best kept in a species only tank
due to being territorial after spawning. Badis are particularly helpful
at reducing snail populations should they pose an issue in a tank. They
are a shy, tiny, tropical freshwater fish considered one of the more
underrated species in the hobby, neglected despite their brilliant coloration,
stripes, and unique personality reminiscent of dwarf cichlids that make
them quite an interesting species to keep and watch.

Asia: Ganges River drainage in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal,
from Himachal Pradesh (Yamuna River) to the estuary. The Mahanadi River
drainage. Assam lowlands close to Brahmaputra.
General Body Form:
Male Badis look a bit slimmer than females, and their pelvic fins also
extend out further as they develop and mature than those of the female.
Sexing & Coloration:
Males are also more colorful than females (which are without the red
or blue colors on their flanks), making them the more popular sex for
importation. The Badis come with seven bold stripes along their body.
Maintenance:
Badis prefer the best of both worlds: well-planted tanks offering lots
of hiding places and dark “secure” areas between rocks and wood, as
well as open swimming areas to move around in. Using the water conditions
above should render very healthy and vibrant Badis.

Diet:
Badis accept all varieties of food from the staple quality flakes, to
blood worms and white worms as treats.
Breeding:
Badis prefer to spawn in caves or other secure, hidden-away areas. Their
mating ritual consists of swimming around one another in circles, periodically
locking their mouths together, after this they will enter the cave to
spawn (Sound familiar?). Their eggs hatch in 2-3 days however the fry
do not hatch “free swimming.” Brine shrimp are a recommended food for
the new fry. Either a single pair or a group of adults can be used for
spawning, but if using multiple males be sure to provide each with space
to form a territory of at least 12" x 12" per male. Females leave the
area post-spawning and the male Badis defends the territory against
intruders, tirelessly patrolling the area. All in all the Badis can
be expected to live 3 to five years in a healthy tank.

Please remember that
the following comments are personal experiences and may or may
not apply to your setup. Use them as guide to help better understand
your fish, like us all individuals will behave differently under
different circumstances.

From: Kimberly KellerDate:10/13/2015 Not sure where you got the info that they accept flake foods. It has not been my experience, nor those I've sold them to over the years. In raising them, I was able to get 4th generation captive bred fish to strike at man-made foods. But they are stubborn in their desire for live worms or worm-like foods. Never saw them mess with snails (although I have seen other sites claim they are good snail hunters - I raised snails to feed puffers and offer them to Badis badis from time to time, but they were always ignored). Same with shrimp and shrimplets. 4 cherry shrimp dropped into a 10 gallon tank with a male Badis badis (to be food), and there were 80+ shrimp a few months later!